Storage container for water treatment system

ABSTRACT

A storage container for a water treatment system includes a bladder disposed in the container and having an inlet port for receiving water and having a water outlet. The container may be used for preventing the bladder from being over-inflated or exploded. A switch may be disposed above or below the bladder for detecting whether the bladder has been filled with water or not and for controlling the water to flow into the bladder. The container includes two openable housings for allowing the bladder to be removed or changed or cleaned when the housings are opened.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates to a storage container, and more particularly to a storage container for a water treatment system or the like.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] Various kinds of typical storage containers have been developed for various kinds of water treatment systems or the like. U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,568 to Ellis, III discloses one of the typical storage containers for the water treatment systems or the like, and includes one or more pre-filters disposed in front of one or more reverse osmosis modules, for filtering the water and for allowing pre-filtered water to flow through the reverse osmosis modules. The water treated by or flowing through the reverse osmosis modules may then flow into and be stored in the storage containers for further use. The typical storage containers are normally made of solid structure that may not be opened and that may be used for receiving highly pressurized water. However, the typical storage containers thus may not be cleaned and may not be disinfected after use.

[0005] The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional storage containers for the water treatment systems or the like.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0006] The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a water treatment system or the like including an openable structure for allowing the storage container to be cleaned and disinfected after use.

[0007] The other objective of the present invention is to provide a storage container for a water treatment system or the like including a flexible or inflatable or deflatable capsule or bladder which may be easily removed or cleaned or disinfected after use.

[0008] In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a storage container for a water treatment system, the storage container comprising a container body, and a bladder disposed in the container body, the bladder including an inlet port for coupling to a water reservoir for receiving water therefrom, and including an outlet port for outward flowing of the water. The container body is preferably made of stronger or metal materials and may be provided for preventing the bladder from being over-inflated or over-expanded or exploded.

[0009] A device may further be provided for controlling the water to flow into the bladder and includes a switch disposed below the bladder for detecting whether the bladder has been filled with water or not, and for shutting off the water and for stopping the water from flowing or continuously flowing into the bladder when or after the bladder has been fully filled with the water or the like.

[0010] The container body includes a bottom portion having a flexible plate disposed therein for supporting the bladder, the switch is engaged with the plate for detecting whether the bladder has been filled with water or not. The switch includes a button for engaging with the plate, and means for biasing the button to engage with the plate.

[0011] The switch may also be disposed above the bladder for detecting whether the bladder has been filled with water or not, and includes an actuating lever extended inward of the container body for engaging with the bladder and for being actuated by the bladder.

[0012] The bladder includes an upper portion having an actuator disposed thereon for engaging with and for actuating the actuating lever of the switch. The bladder includes a mouth provided therein for filling disinfectant into the bladder.

[0013] A device may further be provided for pumping the water out of the outlet port of the bladder. A detector device or a sensor device may further be provided for detecting a water leakage of the container body and the bladder, and for shutting off the water or for stopping the water from flowing or continuously flowing into the bladder when or after a water leakage has been detected or founded by the detector device or the sensor device.

[0014] The container body includes two housings, and means for detachably securing the housings together, for allowing the bladder to be removed from the container body when the housings are opened, and for allowing the bladder to be cleaned or disinfected or changed with the other ones.

[0015] Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a careful reading of a detailed description provided hereinbelow, with appropriate reference to accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view of a storage container in accordance with the present invention for a water treatment system or the like; and

[0017]FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 1, illustrating the operation of the storage container for the water treatment system or the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0018] Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a storage container in accordance with the present invention is primarily provided for various kinds of water treatment systems or fluid purifying systems or the like, and comprises a container body 10 including a lower housing 11 and an upper housing 12 detachably or openably secured together with a latch or lock or hook device 15, for allowing the lower and the upper housings 11, 12 to be opened relative to each other. The container body 10 is preferably made of stronger materials, such as the metal or alloy materials for water pressure resisting purposes. The upper housing 12 includes one or more orifices 13 formed therein and communicating the interior of the container body 10 with the outer environment, for allowing the air pressure within and outside of the container body 10 to be balanced. The container body 10 includes a flexible or resilient plate 14 provided and disposed in the bottom portion thereof, such as disposed in the bottom portion of the lower housing 11 thereof.

[0019] A flexible or resilient or inflatable or deflatable capsule or bladder 20 is made of such as the rubber materials, silicone materials, plastic materials, synthetic materials, or the like and is disposed in the container body 10, and includes an inlet port 21 provided on the upper portion thereof and coupled to the water treatment systems or the water reservoirs with a hose 17, for receiving the water or the pressurized water therefrom. The hose 17 may be engaged through a hole 16 of the upper housing 12 of the container body 10, for example. A switch 30 is disposed below the resilient plate 14, and includes a button 31 biased to engage with the bottom portion of the resilient plate 14 with a spring 32 or the like. The resilient plate 14 is arranged to be curved or arched upward against the bladder 20 when the bladder 20 has not been fully filled with water or fluid or the like (FIG. 2). When or after the bladder 20 has been fully filled with water or fluid or the like, as shown in FIG. 1, the resilient plate 14 may be depressed downward to actuate the button 31 of the switch 30 which may then shut off the water and to stop the water from flowing or continuously flowing into the bladder 20.

[0020] Simultaneously or alternatively, another switch 33, such as a microswitch device 33 is further provided and disposed on top of the container body 10, and includes a button or an actuating lever 34 extended inward of the container body 10. The bladder 20 includes a board or an actuator 25 disposed on the upper portion thereof for engaging or actuating the actuating lever 34 of the switch 33 (FIG. 1), and for actuating the switch 33 to shut off the water and to stop the water from flowing or continuously flowing into the bladder 20 when or after the bladder 20 has been fully filled with water or fluid or the like. The bladder 20 includes a mouth 22 formed therein, such as formed or provided on the upper portion thereof, and openably secured or plugged with a cap or a nozzle 23 or the like, for allowing the disinfectant to be engaged or filled into the bladder 20 via or through the mouth 22, for disinfecting purposes.

[0021] The bladder 20 includes an outlet port 24 provided in the lower portion thereof, and engaged outward through a hole 18 of the container body 10, and coupled to a faucet or the like directly, or via a motor 40 which may be used to pump the water out of the bladder 20 to the faucet or the like. The container body 10 further includes an opening 19 formed or provided in the bottom portion thereof, such as provided in the bottom peripheral portion thereof. A detector device or a sensor device 50 may further be provided and coupled to the bottom portion of the container body 10, such as coupled to the bottom opening 19 of the container body 10, for detecting whether a water leakage has happened or not, and for shutting off the water or for stopping the water from flowing or continuously flowing into the bladder 20 when or after a water leakage has been detected or founded by the detector device or the sensor device 50.

[0022] It is to be noted that the bladder 20 is received within the container body 10 which may limit the inflating or the expanding of the bladder 20 and which may prevent the bladder 20 from being over-inflated or over-expanded or exploded. In addition, the switches 30, 33 provide a double-security system for controlling the inward flowing of the water into the bladder 20, and for further preventing the bladder 20 from being over-inflated or over-expanded or exploded. The bladder 20 may be easily removed from the container body 10 and may be quickly changed with the other ones, when the upper housing 12 is disengaged from the lower housing 11. In addition, the bladder 20 may also be disinfected by filling the disinfectant into the bladder 20 via the mouth 22 of the bladder 20. The detector device or the sensor device 50 may further be provided for detecting the water leakage problems.

[0023] Accordingly, the storage container in accordance with the present invention includes an openable structure for allowing the storage container to be cleaned and disinfected after use, and includes a flexible or inflatable or deflatable capsule or bladder which may be easily removed or cleaned or disinfected after use.

[0024] Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed. 

I claim:
 1. A storage container for a water treatment system, said storage container comprising: a container body, and a bladder disposed in said container body, said bladder including an inlet port for coupling to a water reservoir for receiving water therefrom, and including an outlet port for outward flowing of the water, said container body being provided for preventing said bladder from being over-inflated.
 2. The storage container according to claim 1 further comprising means for controlling the water to flow into said bladder.
 3. The storage container according to claim 2, wherein said controlling means includes a switch disposed below said bladder for detecting whether said bladder has been filled with water or not.
 4. The storage container according to claim 3, wherein said container body includes a bottom portion having a flexible plate disposed therein for supporting said bladder, said switch is engaged with said plate for detecting whether said bladder has been filled with water or not.
 5. The storage container according to claim 4, wherein said switch includes a button for engaging with said plate, and means for biasing said button to engage with said plate.
 6. The storage container according to claim 2, wherein said controlling means includes a switch disposed above said bladder for detecting whether said bladder has been filled with water or not.
 7. The storage container according to claim 6, wherein said switch is disposed on said container body and includes an actuating lever extended inward of said container body for engaging with said bladder and for being actuated by said bladder.
 8. The storage container according to claim 7, wherein said bladder includes an upper portion having an actuator disposed thereon for engaging with and for actuating said actuating lever of said switch.
 9. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein said bladder includes a mouth provided therein for filling disinfectant into said bladder.
 10. The storage container according to claim 1 further comprising means for pumping the water out of said outlet port of said bladder.
 11. The storage container according to claim 1 further comprising means for detecting a water leakage of said container body and said bladder.
 12. The storage container according to claim 1, wherein said container body includes two housings, and means for detachably securing said housings together, for allowing said bladder to be removed from said container body when said housings are opened. 